There are many differing interpretations of the Khrushchev-Era, or the era of ‘De-Stalinization’, in the Soviet Union. Nevertheless, the period between 1953 and 1964 remains vague, since no one has been able to define the term “De-Stalinization” in a valid and concise way. Publications about the Khrushchev years only appear sporadically in German- or English-language historical research. This is in stark contrast to the topic of Stalinism, which dominates the current interest of historians. In the last few years, however, there have been a series of impulses from the Anglo-Saxon space, which is evident, for example, in an edition of ‘The Slavonic and East European Review’ from 2008 entitled “The Relaunch of the Soviet Project, 1945-1964″. The conference organizers suggest that, in both the German-speaking and the international context, there is a certain need to take stock of and discuss the base of prospective research into this era, free of the rigid frame of ‘contemporary history’ or other established historical concepts. In order to meet this aim, relevant experts will be invited from Germany, Great Britain, Russia and the USA to present their papers.

Polly Jones (London): Coming to terms with the past, or mastering the past? De-Stalinisation in comparative perspective Maria Zezina (Moscow): Soviet writers and De-Stalinization in the period of “thaw” and after Alexandra Oberländer (Bremen): Those who don’t work shall not eat: A Cultural History of (non-)work in the USSR Michel Abesser (Freiburg): A cultural playground for the Soviet Middle Class? – Soviet Jazz in the 1950s and 60s Commentary: Beate Fieseler (Düsseldorf)

19.00 – Final session & discussion Chair: Michel Abesser (Freiburg)/Rayk Einax (Gießen) Steven Bittner (Sonoma): Was it really the Beginning of the End? De-Stalinisation and the Shadow of the Soviet Collapse